Three ULFA men held with explosives in GH

Pre-Independence Day security ops

TURA: Three ULFA militants and their over ground worker have been arrested with explosives on the Garo Hills side of the inter-State border close to Assam in North Garo Hills district on Saturday night.

North Garo Hills Police arrested a linkman of the ULFA identified as Manuel Marak at Assam Gate in Mendipathar on Saturday evening after receiving a tip off from their counterparts in Goalpara district.

The arrested man, who hails from Daram Mangtu, confessed to police about the presence of ULFA militants at Moranadi village which falls under Mendipathar police station.

A joint search operation by North Garo Hills and Assam police led to the arrest of three ULFA militants from the village along with a sizable amount of explosives and detonators.

The arrested militants – Taison Rabha, Ujira Rabha and Rupjyoti Rabha – were found to have in their possession 30 gelatin sticks, a .22 pistol with 19 rounds, a roll of cortex, a remote control device to detonate explosives along with eight numbers of pencil batteries and five mobile phones.

The militants were reportedly planning to conduct subversive activities along the Assam- Garo Hills border in the run up to the Independence Day celebrations.

Police sources reveal that the arrested members are part of the same group that triggered a powerful IED on a bicycle near Krishnai police station on July 23 in which one person was killed and three others seriously injured.

On August 1, three members of the same group were trying to assemble another powerful IED inside a house in Mongrai village under Agia police station of Assam, close to Bajengdoba region of Garo Hills, when the device went off killing all three militants.